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(Aug. 10) -- As Clifton Williams sat in the courtroom in Joliet, Ill., awaiting his cousin's sentencing on drug charges, little did he know he would soon be the one in jail.
(Aug. 10) -- As Clifton Williams sat in the courtroom in Joliet, Ill., awaiting his cousin's sentencing on drug charges, little did he know he would soon be the one in jail.
As Judge Daniel Rozak sentenced Williams' cousin to two years probation, Williams yawned, an act that earned him six months in jail on contempt charges, the Chicago Tribune reported.
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Courtesy Will County Sheriff
A judge sentenced Clifton Williams to six months in jail on contempt-of-court charges after he yawned during his cousin's trial. A spokesman for the court said Williams attempted to disrupt the proceedings with his yawn.
Williams' father said he was "flabbergasted" by the sentence, the maximum issued for a contempt charge without a jury trial. "It seems to me like a yawn is an involuntary action," Clifton Williams Sr. told the newspaper.
The court disagreed. While Rozak did not comment on the charges, a state's attorney's office spokesman, Chuck Pelkie, said Williams did not let out a "simple" yawn. "It was a loud and boisterous attempt to disrupt the proceedings," he said.
According to the Tribune, Rozak is particularly fierce on courtroom decorum, issuing contempt-of-court charges at the highest rate of any judge in the county. The broad discretion of judges to control their courts has prompted Rozak to file contempt charges against people for everything from swearing to not silencing their cell phones.
However, some of the people Rozak assigned harsh sentences to were shown leniency if they apologized.
Williams will have to serve as least 21 days, the Tribune reported, and he has been locked up since July 23. In a letter to his family, Williams wrote, "I really can't believe I'm in jail."
For more on the story, read the Chicago Tribune.
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My bit: What the hell? So...if I yawn, even during an important meeting, I deserve to go to jail?
Even if I yawn VERY LOUD AND ANNOYINGLY...Even if I MEANT to ruin the situation...do the people in charge have that little of an attention span to not just move on? Lame. Seriously.
Jail time for a yawn, something you cannot control without knowing what the consequences are.
Congratulations America. Rapists and Murderers walk the streets, and YOU arrest a serial yawner. Way to effing go. You really make me proud.
[sarcasm]You know the country you live in is effed up if people are going free after doing casual things like yawning...when the rapists get put behind bars...I'm so happy America is normal in it's justice system.[/sarcasm]
Jeez...I can't even think...their mind-boggling stupidity is blinding my insight.
Screw you guys.
DON'T PEE! It's a felony.
Garrett R.
***
My bit: What the hell? So...if I yawn, even during an important meeting, I deserve to go to jail?
Even if I yawn VERY LOUD AND ANNOYINGLY...Even if I MEANT to ruin the situation...do the people in charge have that little of an attention span to not just move on? Lame. Seriously.
Jail time for a yawn, something you cannot control without knowing what the consequences are.
Congratulations America. Rapists and Murderers walk the streets, and YOU arrest a serial yawner. Way to effing go. You really make me proud.
[sarcasm]You know the country you live in is effed up if people are going free after doing casual things like yawning...when the rapists get put behind bars...I'm so happy America is normal in it's justice system.[/sarcasm]
Jeez...I can't even think...their mind-boggling stupidity is blinding my insight.
Screw you guys.
DON'T PEE! It's a felony.
Garrett R.
